Acetylene-generator



R. D. BRADEN AND C. W. GRANT.

ACETYL'ENE GENERATOR.

APPLECATION FILED NOV. 1, 1915.

1,336,813. e pr. 13,1920.

R. D. BRADEN AND C. W. GRANT.

ACETYLENE GENERATOR.

APPLICATION FILED Nov, I, 1915.

11,336,813. Patented Apr. 13, 1920.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

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I k A I f EW w fi 5? J75 29 I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT D. BRADEN AND CHARLES W. GRANT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNORS T0 OXWELD ACETYLENE COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF WEST VIRGINIA.

AOETYLENE-GENERATOR.

Application filed November 1, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ROBERT D. BRADEN and (HAnLns W. GRANT, citizens of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Acetylene-Generators, of which the following is a specification.

Our present invention relates in general to generators and has more particular reference to acetylene generators of the outdoor type adapted to be located out of doors and to supply gas for lighting purposes, etc., to rural dwelling houses and the like.

When acetylene generators of this general type first came into use they were installed in the basements of dwellings, but the danger from fire was so great that the basement installations were soon superseded by outdoor installations in which the generators were set in the ground. The reason that they were set in the ground was to prevent freezing of the water in the generator chamber when the generator was idle. It is well known that the chemical action which results in the production of the acetylene gas generates considerable heat, and one of the primary objects of our present invention is to conserve this heat and retain it in the generator so that the generator may stand dle for a long period of time without freezing,

even when installed outdoors above ground in very cold climates.

With this end in view our invention contemplates the provision of an acetylene generator in which the generating chamber shall be thoroughly heat-insulated and at the same time care-- fully protected from injury by aheavy metallic jacket, the construction being such that there is no direct heat-conducting connection between the metallic generating chamber and the surrounding jacket or container.

)thcr objects and many of the advantages of this invention will be readily appreciated as the same become better understood by reference to the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings. Referring ti'ithe drawmgs- Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through a generator embodying our invention;

Fig. Z-is a sectional plan view on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 13, 1920.

.Serial No. 58,995.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail sectional view of the residuum valve and agitator; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of the upper end of the generator with the cover applied thereto.

From an inspection of the drawings it will be observed that the generator casing comprises an outer cylindrical container 5 and an inner container 6, forming the generating chamber proper. Both of these containers are made of sheet metal, the outer container being provided with a peripheral flange 7 by which the weight of the generator is supported upon the piles or pillars 8 of wood, concrete or other suitable construction set in the ground. The space between the containers 5 and 6 is filled with layers of heatinsulating material 9, any of the various kinds of felt or similar non-heat-conducting material being well adapted for the purpose.

In order to retain the heat generated in the generating chamber it is essential that the construction be such that no direct contact be established between the inner container 6 and the outer container 5, and with this end in view we have devised a construction at the upper end of the generator which will form a strong, solid and durable connection between the containers but will prevent the conduction of heat from the inner container to the outer. Referring now to Figs. 1 and 4, it will be observed that the outer container is provided near its upper end with an inwardly extending bead 11 upon which is supported a laminated wooden non-heatconducting ring 12. The upper edge of the container 5 is'bent inwardly as indicated at 13 to firmly clamp the ring in position. The upper edge of the inner container 6 .is bent outwardly'in a similar manner, as indicated at 14, to form a flange which overliesthe upper edge of the ring 12, and by which the inner container is suspended from the ring, said inner container also having a ring-em gaging bead 11'. We preferably provide the upper face of the ring wit (grooves adapted to receive the flanges 13 an 14 respectively, so that their upper faces lie substantially flush with the upper face of the ring. This construction provides a rigid connection between the inner and outer con.- tainers but prevents contact between the metal itself of the containers so that direct conduction of heat from the generator to the outside shell is prevented,

WVithin the container 6 and just belowvthe the generating chamber.

normal water level of the water in the generating chamber we have mounted by means of a flanged member 15, which provides a watertight joint, an upwardly extending cylinder 16 upon which the inner cylinder 17 carrying the carbid hopper 18 is supported. A valve 19 mounted on a stem 21 is normally urged into closed position by an expans on spring 22 interposed between a bafile gulde 23 and a pin 24 extending through the stem 21. This valve is designed to control the supply of carbid to the generating chamber beneath the hopper. The upper end of the stem 21 is guided in a bearing 25 through the cover 26 of the inner cylinder 17, and the valve is moved downwardly into the open position shown in Fig. 1 by means of an abutment screw 27 adjustably mounted on the top of the bell 28, the vertical walls of which extend downwardly into the sealing space between the cylindrical member 16 and the walls of the container 6.

When gas is generated in the generator it rises through the tube 29, which extends through the hopper 18 and cover 26, beneath the bell 28 and when sufficient pressure has been generated the bell is lifted by the gas pressure, thereby permitting the valve 19 to close and shut off the flow of carbid to the I generating chamber. The bell is guided in its vertical movements by coiiperating guide members 31 and 32 mounted on the bell top and on the walls of the container 6, respectively. The gas is delivered from the generator through the filter 33 to the service pipe 34, a shut-off valve 35 being preferably interposed in the branch pipe 36.

In order} to prevent the generated gas from escaping around the bell 28 while permitting freedom of vertical movement of the bell we place in the chamber between the cylinder 16 and the surrounding container 6 sealing liquid 37, preferably kerosene, which forms an effective seal for the bell. Attention is directed at this point to the fact that the bottom of the sealing chamber is located well down in the container, thereby providing a sealing chamber of considerable length. One of the difficulties experienced in generators of this kind prior to our present invention was the fact that when the generator had run down, that is, when the carbid had been exhausted a partial vacuum would be formed in the generating chamber after the gas had been exhausted, which would result in siphoning the sealing liquid over the edges of the c'ylinder 16 into the enerating chamber, where it would mix wit the water and interfere with the efficiency of the machine. By providing a long sealing chamber, as we have in the present instance, the inner leg of the seal is capable of holding all of the sealing liquid without permitting it to overflow into The result is that upon the formation of a partial vacuum in the generating chamber the sealing liquid will be drawn up into the inner leg whereupon the air passing down the outer leg will bubble up through the sealing liquid and relieve the vacuum without permitting any of the sealing liquid to overflow.

To further insure the retention of the generated heat within the generator we have provided a cover for the generator which is best shown in Figs. 1 and 4. The body of this cover consists of laminated sheets of insulating material 38 similar to the insulating material 9. A sheet of canvas or other textile material 39 is disposed over the inner face of the insulating material, drawn up over the edges and secured on the outer face of the cover by cords or other fastening means. To lend strength and rigidity to the structure the outer face is then covered by a metal sheet 41 and the inner face is likewise partially covered by a similar sheet or disk 42, these metal sheets being clamped together by bolts or rivets 43. It will be observed, however, that the sheet metal disk upon the inner face of the cover does not extend to the periphery of the cover but leaves a marginal portion around its circumference where the textile material 39 is exposed. This layer of textile material, when the cover is in place rests directly upon the upper edges of the metal flanges 13 and 14 and upon the upper face of the wooden ring 12, thereby providing a tight and non-heat-conducting joint between the cover and the generator walls. To insure a tight fit between the cover and the generator we also secure to the periphery of the cover a metal ring or cylinder 44 which extends beneath the cover and tightly embraces the upper edges of the container 5. The cover is also provided with a metal bar 45 which projects at one end into a hole in an upwardly extendin metal member 46 and which overlies at 1ts other end-another member 47 to which it may be locked by a padlock or other securing means. A handle 48 is also mounted on the cover to facilitate its removal.

The bottom of the generating chamber is equipped with a residuum valve through which the solid residuum in the chamber may be discharged and through which the chamber may be recharged with water when desired. Referring now to Figs. 1 and 3, it will be observed that this valve comprises a casing 49 mounted in the bottom of the chamber and provided above the chamber bottom with ports 51. The casing-is tapped longitudinally, the bore beneath the ports being tapered as indicated at 52 so as to form a water-tight fit with a similarly tapered valve plug which is threaded therein, When the valve plug is below the up the residuum in the bottom of the generating chamber we provide an agitator comprising a plurality of blades 57 mounted upon a hub 58 which rests upon the upper end of the valve casing 49. To prevent displacement of the agitator from its operative positien-on'the-valve casing, the casing is provided with an undercut annular groove 59, and the hub 58 is equipped with a plurality of pins or screws 61 projecting into said groove, whereby the agitator is retained against displacement but is permitted to rotate freely on the valve casing. A hollow shaft 62 rigidly attached to the agitator hub 58 extends upwardly around the rod 54 in position to be operated by a wrench when the covers 55 and 56 are removed. It might be mentioned at this point that we contemplate the provisionof a wrench with each installation which is.

adapted to fit both the upper end of the agitator shaft 62 and the upper end of the plug rod 54. By reference to .Fig. 3 it will be noted that the agitator hub 58 overlies the bore of the valve casing and thereby prevents the valve plug 53 from being entirely withdrawn from the. casing, as it might be were it accidentally unscrewed too far.

The valve casing is connected by a suitable nipple 63 and an elbow 64 with a pipe 65 which extends laterally from the generator. When the valve is opened the water and residuum will be discharged through the valve and through this pipe outside the generator. When it is desired to recharge the generator with water a funnel 66 is connected to the end of the pipe 65 by a suitable coupling 67 so that the generator can be readily filled with water by pouring it into the funnel, and since the upper end of the funnel is substantially on the line withthe maximum water level desired in the chamber it will be manifest that when the funnel overflows the chamber has been filled to the required height. The residuum valve is then closed and after the carbid hopper has been charged with carbid the generator is ready for further use. The agitator of course, is employed only to stir up the residuum when the generator is to be drained and cleaned.

.In extremely cold climates it is desirable to afford further protection against freezmg to the generator, and with this end in view we have provided a metal shell 68 which surrounds but is spaced from the lower end of the generator and is connected thereto by a plurality of bracing members 69. The shell is preferably made of sheet metal and may, if desired, be corrugated. The space between the generator proper and the surrounding shell is then packed with stable manure and after the space has been filled a cover is applied, the construction of which will now be described.

This cover, as will be observed from Figs. 1 and 2, consists of a series of sections 71 formed of sheet metal, one edge of each section being provided with an upstanding flange 72 and the other edge being provided with a roll forming a channel 7 3 adapted to fit down over the flange 72. The cover sections are thereby interlocked together into a unitary structure. The outer end of each section is bent downwardly as indicated at 74 to overlie and embrace the upper edges of the shell 68 while the inner edges are bent upwardly as indicated at 75 into a plane substantially parallel with the walls of the container 5. The container carries upon its periphery a ring' 76 and also a downwardly extending flange 77 above the ring, the ring and flange being rigidly attached to the container. In assembling the cover the portion 75 of each section is inserted beneath the flange 77 and then permitted to assume the position shown in Fig. 1, in which position it is held by the cooperative action of the ring 76 and the flange 77, so that the cover sections cannot become accidentally displaced. The flange 77 which is formed or carried by the ring 78 also forms a weather-tight joint which prevents snow, rain, etcl'," "from seeping into the insulating chamber around the generator. It is, of course, understood that the chamber within the shell 68 is packed full of suitable manure clear to the cover, and as the cover sections are assembled it may be desirable to pack the manure tightly under each cover section as the sections are successively placed in position.

It is believed from the foregoing that it will be understood that we have provided a generator which is adequately heat-insulated so as to be capable of outdoor installation in very cold climates and is so con-- ing from the scope of the following claims.

We claim: 1. An acetylene generator, comprising an insulating generator caslng, a shell sur rounding the lower portion of said casing cover consisting of a plurality of sections and spaced therefrom, heat-insulating material filling said shell around said casing, and a cover for said shell comprising a plurality of interlocked sections embracing the upper end of said shell at their lower ends and at their upper ends embracing said casing.

2. An acetylene generator, comprising an insulating generator casing, a shell surrounding the lower portion of said casing and spaced therefrom, a cover for said shell comprising a plurality of interlocked sec tions extending between the upper edge of said shell and the outer surface of said casing, a body of heat-insulating material filling the space within said shell and cover, and means carried by said casing for detachably connecting said cover sections to said casing.

3. An acetylene generator, comprising an insulating generator casing, a shell surrounding the lower portion thereof and; spaced therefrom, a downwardly extending flange surrounding said casing and spaced from the outer surface thereof, a ring carried by said casing beneath said flange, a

adapted to be interlocked and disposed over the space between said shell and casing, the inner ends of said sections beingupturned and inserted beneath said flange above said ring, and a body of heat-insulating material filling the space within said shell and cover.

4. An acetylene generator, comprising an insulating generator casing, an insulating compartment surrounding the lower portion of said casing, a tapered annular cover for said compartment consisting of a plurality of sections each provided at its lateral edges with a channel and a flange respectively, the outer ends of said sections being downturned to fit over the outer wall of said compartment and their inner ends being upturned to lie against the outer surface of said casing, a ring carried by said casing for supporting the inner ends of said cover sections, and a flange carried by said casing above said ring beneath which the upturned ends of said sections are inserted to retain said sections in place.

ROBERT D. BRADEN.

CHARLES W. GRANT. 

